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  #1  
Old 04-10-2002, 12:25 PM
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Wink Odometer problems

Greetings,

New to the forum. 85 300D with odometer problems. My trip odometer periodically sticks on the tenth mile digit (always .9). The speedometer works fine. Sometimes resetting the trip odometer will fix it, sometimes road vibration will get it past the .9

I have had the car for about 3 years, and it has approximately 190,000 miles .

I love this forum! Thanks for the help.

k413

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  #2  
Old 04-10-2002, 12:44 PM
SW SW is offline
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Do a search on the subject, its been covered before. Welcome to the diesel forum.
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2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel - 4x4, auto, 3.54 gears, long bed
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'92 300D 2.5 Turbodiesel - sold
'83 300D Turbodiesel - 4 speed manual/2.88 diff - sold
'87 300D Turbodiesel - sold
'82 300D Turbodiesel - sold
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  #3  
Old 04-10-2002, 01:40 PM
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Cool Thanks!

Thank you SW!
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  #4  
Old 04-10-2002, 04:52 PM
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k413:

Moderator Steve Brotherton (ID stevebfl) wrote detailed instructions on how to repair your odo in a thread entitled ODOMETER MALFUNCTION dated 3-31-01. Search for that thread.

Good Luck!
Tom
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  #5  
Old 04-24-2002, 11:06 PM
JMH JMH is offline
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Thumbs up odometer

I have an 84 300D Turbo that had the same problem. I went to the Steve Brotherton post, printed it out and then commenced to taking out the odometer. I fixed it once (or thought I did) but after about 250 miles, it started to make a click/popping noise from the speedo area. NOT GOOD! So I disconnected speedo cable until I could drive 80+ miles home. I worked on it this past weekend and the advice I would have for you would be this:

Follow the instructions that Steve Brotherton posted but as an additional comment, be absolutely sure that you get the brass "pressed on" bushing on the other end of the shaft from the brass odometer gear fitted snugly against the stamped metal frame and that the brass odometer gear turns fairly easily... and then test it by getting a drill bitt or some type of drill fitting that you can insert in the odometer to turn it and make sure the whole contraption works. The thing you have to remember is that if you have ANY binding on the gears, the worm gears leading up to the brass odometer gear are all plastic which is now 17+ years old so it is getting hard and brittle. I had to do some impromptu engineering to get the broken worm gear back in place after my initial repair. I have gotten this repair successfully completed now and it is working flawlessly. I would also caution that you need to be very sure which length of the shaft fits within the pot metal gear for the odometer (which drives the tenths on the trip odometer; thus why when you roll to the .9, the extra burden on the shaft/potmetal fitting is too much and it all stops right there!) before you put any punchmarks in the metal shaft.. that may be what caused my binding problem with fix #1 and so I sanded down the overlap. When I fixed it again, I noted that the brass pressed on fitting on the other end had slop in it and as a result the gear backed out past the worm gear ever so slightly which was enough to break part of the worm gear Test it well before putting it all back in there but once done, you will be really happy and able to really check that mileage!!
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  #6  
Old 04-25-2002, 08:34 AM
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Location: Michigan
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After trying to fix mine with only temporary results, I finally chopped out the tiny gear to dis-engage the trip odometer. I then forwarded the miles using a drill so that it would reflect actual.

I sacrificed the trip odometer but hey, now I have an accurate read on the accumulation process that we're all so proud of.

Don
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'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

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  #7  
Old 04-25-2002, 11:20 PM
JMH JMH is offline
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Lightbulb odometer

Diesel Don,
I may run into the same problem as you but I found (I think!) that the problem in my case was not the trip odometer itself but the pot metal wheel (which is the first gray colored wheel in the actual odometer when you have the cover off and can look at it). The shaft of the main odometer must be pressed into that gray pot metal wheel... which as it turns, clicks of the tenths of miles on the trip odometer. I found that when I initially repaired it, I did not press the brass fitting on the opposite end of the shaft tight enough against the sheet metal "box" that the whole contraption fits into... that caused the brass sprocket which is driven by the plastic worm gear to work it's way outboard which then but a bind on the worm gear and ultimately broke the small tip off of it where it "carries" on one the end of the worm gear. My solution: screw a small wood screw into that end through the housing and then hacksawed the head off. Now that fixed the worm gear. Next I used a C-clamp to press the brass retainer on the opposite end of the housing so that it would keep the brass sprocket snug against the worm gear. I then tested it with a drill and it worked flawlessly. I just today did my first refill after a light week of driving and with 248.9 showing on the trip odometer, she held about 10.8 gallons. The mileage worked out to be 23.036 mpg so I was somewhat happy. I think that is the first time my odometer worked for the whole week. That is what I like about my ol' gal..... there's nothing much that can break or wear out that I cannot fix myself :}!
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  #8  
Old 04-25-2002, 11:23 PM
roadracer
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On my way home from work today I noticed that I wasn't getting the mileage that I was used to. Then I realized that I wasn't getting any mileage at all. Needless to say, my gear was slipping. When I got home I removed the gauge cluster and got to work. I had everything out and back in working order in about an hour. Now, works like a charm. I made sure to check it with a drill before I put it back in though. Made sure to squirt some lubricant down the speedometer cable before installing it for smoother operation too.
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  #9  
Old 04-26-2002, 08:01 AM
JMH JMH is offline
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odometer

Roadracer,
What kind of lubricant did you use? I sprayed a light oil based spray into the odometer gears (very small amount) and on the plastic worm gears and brass sprocket.....
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  #10  
Old 04-26-2002, 01:40 PM
PeterG
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Ok, Ok I guess I am going to have to fix mine or deal with getting 1.5 miles to the gallon (it sticks when it gets to .9). Many thanks to all that have contributed the information on the fix, but how do you get the speedo out? I see the wood trim cuts across the bottom,(does this have to be removed) and I see no screws (Like on american cars). Do you have enough room to disconnect the oil line, or do you have to do the conventional routine and hang upside down and work under the dash? What's the secret?

PeterG


79 300 SD 75K miles and holding
96 Concorde 120 K
89 Cherokee 180 K
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  #11  
Old 04-26-2002, 05:02 PM
Jeepboy
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I have the EXACT same problem as you k413, just started doing this last week. Thanks for bringing it up into the forum again.

Brett
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  #12  
Old 04-26-2002, 09:23 PM
roadracer
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I used the same stuff that I used when I rebuild the speedo in my mustang. It's some sort of silicone spray. I found that it sticks to the gears better and lasts longer. I also just squirt some in the speedo cable before installing it again and it smooths out the movement. At least on mine. Don't use to much though, just enough for slight lubrication.
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  #13  
Old 04-26-2002, 11:30 PM
JMH JMH is offline
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odometer

To get my speedometer out this is what I did: I removed the kick panel which is about 3 or 4 screws at across the bottom of the dash about even with the steering column. You probably also have a plastic retainer (gray plastic) with a phillips head that you twist once to either left or right and it slides out. The kick panel is a little difficult to get out without alot of twisting and pulling but it comes out. Once out, you reach up through the space behind the instrument cluster and push it from behind and believe it or not, the whole instrument cluster pops out with very little pressure (the rubber gasket that slides around the instrument housing provides a "pressure fitting" of sorts to hold it in. Then you can pull it out just enough to unplug the wires to the warning lights, the fuel/temp harness plug and the wires plugging into the back of the speedometer (cruise control?). I think there might be one more wire connection on the right which is the clock. Then all you have to do is take a 10mm(could be 11mm?) wrench and unscrew the brass oil pressure guage line. Next you undo the speedometer cable with channel locks or something else that has somewhat long handles... being careful not to bugger it up too bad! Once that is all undone, the whole cluster will come right out. Looking at the back of the cluster from above, you will notice that there are three different panels that house the fuel/temp/oil press. guages on the right, the speedomter/odometer in the middle and the tach/clock on the left. I believe I am correct stating that you take out the left side first (4 screws) and then remove the tach/clock panel. Then undo two screws that still hold in the speedo on the right and the speedo should come out fairly easy but be careful, you don't want to fold/spindle or tear the speedometer needle, etc. Once you have that jewel in your hands, you remove the cruise control fitting whereupon you can remove the two brass flathead screws that hold on the speedo protective housing. Once that is off, you are ready to do your business with the repair like what I referenced in the earlier post. I have a friend with a beautiful 240D that is stuck on the .9 and I cannot wait to get my hands on her to fix his too.... it's not that hard as I am surely no Mercedes scientist but I am not afraid to attempt things so I can learn! It is truly therapy for me. Hope this helps.

John Harrison
Grand Island, FL
1984 300D Turbo
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  #14  
Old 04-26-2002, 11:54 PM
PeterG
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Thanks JMH.

PeterG
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  #15  
Old 04-27-2002, 01:13 AM
lrg lrg is offline
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Ditto to Roadracer's comment to go easy on the speedo cable oiling. You are really only supposed to use graphite powder and not oil because oil can ultimately cause problems. I doubt a little light oil will hurt though. For future reference if you think you have a problem with the cable you can usually pull out the inner cable (the part that turns) clean it up, rub some graphite on it and slide it back into the outer cable. It helps to twist it a bit as you push it back in, especially for the last inch or so so you will be sure to engage the far end properly.

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